98 NATURAL HISTORY ESSAYS 



chocolate. The lead-coloured muzzle had a few 

 hairs scattered about it ; the tongue was dull 

 purplish, and the floor of the mouth pink ; the nasal 

 region, seen in profile, was slightly arched. The 

 iris was chocolate brown, and the eye-lashes long, 

 fine, and delicate ; the hair between the bases of the 

 horns was greyish white. The ears bore only a few 

 stray wisps of long hair, and were lead-coloured ; 

 from occiput to withers there were nine more or less 

 prominent transverse folds of skin ; an indistinct 

 mane passed from occiput to withers, where it 

 disappeared. The " knees " of the fore legs were 

 provided with long curly wisps of yellowish-white 

 hair ; the tail was nearly bare in the upper half, but 

 the rest was furnished wiih a fairly ample blackish- 

 brown tassel, which hung below the hocks. The 

 under parts of this buffalo were pale yellowish. 



In conclusion it is satisfactory to note that the 

 African animals so sorely stricken by the rinderpest 

 have shown notable increase of late years, especially 

 buffalo, eland, oryx antelope, roan antelope, and 

 giraffe. Already a herd of five hundred buffalo has 

 been observed in British East Africa ; in Southern 

 Ankole and Buddu three or four herds of a very 

 large variety of this animal are reported as rapidly 

 increasing in numbers. Similarly, the Cape race 

 has increased materially in the Transvaal Game 

 Reserves, having enjoyed two and a half years of 

 virtually absolute protection from gunners ; and 



